Worcester police have sights on gunshot detection system

Monday

Sep 23, 2013 at 6:00 AMSep 23, 2013 at 9:57 AM

The gunshot detection technology eyed by Worcester police has been in use by Springfield officers for roughly five years, resulting in gun arrests, seized weapons and evidence in killings. "This would be a tremendous tool in order for us to be able to immediately identify the locations where gunshots and gun violence is taking place," said Worcester Police Chief Gary J. Gemme.

By Scott J. Croteau TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

The gunshot detection technology eyed by Worcester police has been in use by Springfield officers for roughly five years, resulting in gun arrests, seized weapons and evidence in killings.

Worcester police have expressed the need to install the ShotSpotter system in a section of the city. The CSX Neighborhood Advisory Committee is looking at the possibility of using mitigation money from the CSX freight yard to purchase the technology for Worcester.

Even without the mitigation money, Police Chief Gary J. Gemme believes the gunfire detection technology would be a useful tool for officers, and officials are considering making the technology part of a budget request if mitigation money isn't used for that purpose.

"This would be a tremendous tool in order for us to be able to immediately identify the locations where gunshots and gun violence is taking place," Chief Gemme said. "We've devoted a tremendous amount of resources to addressing gun violence. When you look at Worcester, it is a relatively safe community, and gun violence is significantly less than other major urban areas. It still has a major impact on the neighborhoods."

The ShotSpotter system, which would place sensors in a 3-square-mile zone in the city, costs roughly $175,000-a-year — or about $138,000-a-year if a three-year contract is purchased. Chief Gemme said the department would look at the one-year purchase first, and review whether to continue the program on a year-to-year basis or purchase a three-year contract.

The sensors would be placed in the Grafton Hill, Union Hill and Vernon Hill areas — locations where police and residents have experienced gunfire.

As of Sept. 16, the city has had 33 confirmed gunshot calls, 133 possible gunshot calls, and 53 improbable gunshot calls.

Springfield police have had the system in place since July 2008 and purchased the first 3-square-mile section. Another 3-square-mile section was purchased for the department after community groups and local businesses raised $360,000 for a three-year contract.

Springfield Police Detective Sean E. Sullivan, who helps oversee ShotSpotter, said as of the afternoon of Sept. 19, his department was notified of roughly 950 possible gunshots in the two sections of the city with sensors. Of those calls, 850 were verified, he said.

"The system works. You will have your false positives, but it is technology, it is only to be as good as technology can be. Show me a computer that works 100 percent of the time and a computer that never breaks down," Detective Sullivan said.

"They (ShotSpotter) are meeting or exceeding their 80 percent (guaranteed rate of notification). The locations are usually dead on."

During a recent demonstration, Detective Sullivan moved his computer mouse across a bank of computers. He clicked on an audio file and the sound of gunfire echoed from the speakers.

Usually it takes 15 to 30 seconds for Springfield police to receive a notification from ShotSpotter analysts in California. Springfield police dispatchers and officers on patrol receive the notification as well.

"Typically, the only time we were getting 911 calls is when someone was shot. People were shooting their guns and no one was calling 911," he said.

"We installed this system and it is making up for that void."

Even if someone does call 911, police have to rely on the caller to get a location. It can take five minutes to get a call and then police have to respond. ShotSpotter is cutting down on response time, Detective Sullivan said.

"We've had officers arrive on scene and find people with gun in hand or fleeing the scene," the detective said.

Lydia Barrett, vice president of SST Inc., supplier of the technology, said in Massachusetts ShotSpotter is also used by Boston, Brockton and Fall River police.

The sensors — Springfield has 119 of them — triangulate the location of gunfire. Analysts in the company's review center review the information and send out notifications.

Some of the calls that don't go over as a possible gunshot call are logged and categorized as fireworks, construction or other noises.

The system can tell if multiple shots are fired and if the shooter is moving and at what speed, she said.

Detective Sullivan said the company is responsive and works to filter out some extraneous noise. He tests the system in the field as well.

The intelligence gained through the technology is only as good as the department using it, Ms. Barrett said.

Springfield police created a policy for ShotSpotter responses. A possible gunshot receives one cruiser.

When a verified gunshot call comes in, police send two cruisers at least, one supervisor and a detective unit.

On average, one person is shot each week in Springfield, Detective Sullivan estimated.

Worcester police have several strategies geared toward gun violence and analysts use crime data to help locate areas where more police are needed.

Chief Gemme called the system cost-effective. The average cost of one officer with benefits is $100,000, but as he points out, that officer isn't working 24-hours-a-day all week, and only concentrating on one 3-square-mile area.

Worcester police also want to tie the system into the department's Real Time Crime Center, which has some cameras up and running.

That system can be connected to the cameras and direct the cameras toward the shooting. The Real Time Crime Center is going to be moved to Worcester Police's Investigation Division soon.

Chief Gemme said the cameras are not used to monitor neighborhoods all of the time, and that is not something police are interesting in doing. Major events, such as parades, do receive attention from the cameras, he said.

Worcester police have already checked out the ShotSpotter system in Boston and researched it for the past 18 months.

Springfield police have located killing victims, arrested people with guns and taken guns off the streets because of the system, Detective Sullivan said. The ability to locate the area of the gunfire has also helped in collecting evidence.

He said roughly 13 to 15 guns a year are taken off the street because of the system.

Detective Sullivan pulled out a sheet of paper and reviewed it.

There was a list of gunshot calls detected by ShotSpotter from this year. He said 10 guns have been taken off the streets because of the system.

"That's 10 homicides that we may have prevented. That's 10 less possible homicides because these people were actually shooting these guns at somebody when they got caught," he said.

"It is worth it. Getting those guns off the street is one less gun I have to deal with as a cop. That's one less gun that can ... kill a child."